Nissan's NV200 Taxi for London is just one example of how the London taxi is
evolving

When Nissan revealed its NV200 Taxi for London this week, you could have been forgiven for thinking that the company had announced plans to paint Buckingham Palace pink or concrete over Hyde Park, such was the extent of the frenzied social media comment.

But then, the Japanese car giant had announced a rival for the traditional black cab – a vehicle that has become a part of the fabric of London life. And it's true that with round headlights and a huge chrome grille grafted on to what is clearly the slab-sided body of a van, the NV200 isn't how most people imagine a London taxi should look.

The fact is, though, that the current taxi fleet is out of step with modern technology and doesn't fit in with Mayor Boris Johnson's plans to significantly reduce emissions of CO2 and particulates over the coming years.

Remember too that the definitive London taxi remains the Austin FX4, which was built between 1958 and 1997, and not its successor, the LTI (now London Taxi Company) TX. And although the newer model has now been around for 17 years, it's still saddled with a 2.5-litre diesel engine that will struggle to meet forthcoming legislation.

Some healthy competition might not be a bad thing, then, and at the O2 Arena – where Nissan launched the NV200 – Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA), suggested that cabbies are crying out for something new.

Converting a van such as the NV200 into a taxi isn't as simple as you might expect, however. Legislation governing licensed London taxis is strict, and has been since the first horse-drawn hackney carriages started pounding the city's streets in the early 17th century.

Motorised versions arrived in the early 20th century and in 1906 the "Conditions for Fitness" established the guidelines that taxi cabs have had to adhere to since. The regulations have evolved, but one thing that hasn't changed is the requirement for a 25ft turning circle - designed to ensure that taxis are easy to manoeuvre and don't clog up the streets when turning.

A queue of LTI (now London Taxi Company) TX models Photo: ALAMY

Nissan had to employ some clever engineering to meet this challenge: the NV200's standard front suspension has been replaced by a design that allows greater articulation, plus the track is wider.

The NV200 is built in Barcelona, but the engineering work took place in the UK and production versions will be converted in Coventry. Prototype models retained the standard NV200's front headlights, bumper and grille, but "in response to feedback from the Mayor's office, Transport for London and other key organisations" Nissan UK created the taxi's new and distinctive "face".

Inside, the NV200 has a familiar seating layout, with a three-person bench and two fold-down rear-facing chairs. The two sliding side doors allow wheelchair access from either side.

Nissan planned to launch its London taxi with a diesel engine but, in the interests of reducing the emissions that contribute to local air pollution, instead chose a 1.6-litre petrol engine and CVT automatic gearbox. Average fuel economy is about 37mpg, while CO2 emissions are 179g/km to the TX4's 211g/km. Nissan claims that nitric oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions are about a fifth of those of the TX4.

When it is launched at the end of this year, the NV200 will become one of only three options for licensed cab drivers; the other is the Mercedes-Benz Vito, a van-based model that meets the turning circle criteria thanks to a rear-wheel steering system. At £42,370 it costs almost £10,000 more than the TX4; the NV200 is likely to be cheaper than both, at about £30,000.

With total annual London taxi sales of about 1,200 Nissan isn't expecting to make much money from the NV200, and Jim Wright, Nissan GB managing director, admits that the initiative has more to do with brand awareness than profit.

In this respect, the real gains are likely to be provided by the e-NV200 (above) – an all-electric version that will give thousands of passengers a demonstration of the benefits of electric cars, technology that the company has invested heavily in. Prototypes will go on trial in "a UK city" this year, before a production version goes on sale in 2015.

At about the same time another "green" taxi is due to go on sale, in the shape of the British-built Ecotive Metrocab (above). The second-generation Metrocab has risen from the ashes of the first, which was produced between 1989 and 2005. Since 2001 the brand has been owned by Kamkorp, and its Frazer-Nash Consultancy subsidiary has been developing the all-new version with Surrey-based Ecotive since 2007.

Mayor Boris Johnson takes the Ecotive Metrocab for a spin

Beneath its retro-styled exterior the Ecotive Metrocab has a range-extender electric powertrain, with individual motors for each rear wheel, a lithium-ion polymer battery pack and a wankel rotary petrol engine that acts as a generator to keep the battery topped up. Charging is via a domestic socket. Few details have been released, but Ecotive says the Metrocab has a full-length glass roof, six passenger seats and a "sizeable" boot.

Production will take place in Mytchett, Surrey. Trials of about 20 vehicles are due to start in London within the next few weeks, before the Metrocab goes on sale in late 2014. Prices haven't been announced, but a spokesman said that they will be "competitive" and could start at less than those of the TX4.

It's impossible to picture what the London taxi will look like 10 or 20 years from now, but it's a safe bet that, whatever advanced technology is under the skin, there will always be that familiar face.